Kirsten Robb Selected To Represent the Scottish Green Party in East Kilbride
Local campaigner, Kirsten Robb, has been selected to run as a Scottish Green Party Candidate in the forthcoming local elections, in the East Kilbride East Ward where she has lived with her family for the last 14 years.
Kirsten said; “I am delighted to be selected as the candidate in my local ward. Helping people in my own community makes my day, and I’d love the chance to help more as a councillor. If elected, I will build on the work I’ve done for the area to date. Together, I feel we can make our community one we can all take pride in.”
Kirsten has previously been a community councillor for the ward, has started up a number of local organisations and currently volunteers for “EK Community Litter Pickers”, “Wild About EK”, “Calderglen Volunteers” and the “Space to Play” campaign. As part of the “Space To Play” Campaign she successfully worked to get South Lanarkshire Council to re-open three primary school multi-use games areas in the ward and examine how a fourth could be opened up to the public out-with school hours.
Kirsten said “Children have a right to play, it is essential for their wellbeing and development especially during this time of increased isolation. What’s more, they should be able to play close to home.”
Speaking at an online event where she was confirmed as candidate Kirsten said “South Lanarkshire desperately needs Green Councillors – not just in this ward but across the authority. In the last decade, we’ve seen millions cut to South Lanarkshire’s services, despite some reductions to cuts by Green MSPs. The social care service is struggling. Support for additional needs children in schools was cut. Councillors opted to close Calderwood Library, Hazelhead Park and our local msueum, but waste millions on building bigger roads’. Maintenance has been cut. Youth services downsized and 118 play parks across South Lanarkshire closed.
If elected I promise to protect the services we all rely on. I’ll work to address poverty and use my skills as a community development project manager1 to secure more funding for East Kilbride East, so we can restore what we’ve lost and build what we need. Not just for local lives but also to do our bit globally for climate change too – by insulating our homes, improving our parks and making it easier to get about by walking, wheeling or by public transport. Most importantly, I will continue to ask local people what they want and do my very best to help do it.
My approach has been to listen to what people want and then help them. People wanted action when Hazelhead park was taken away without consultation and I’ve been supporting them ever since. People told me they wanted paths, roads, parks and lights fixed, I helped them get it sorted. I know, and have shown, we can do better. But there’s only so much I can do as a volunteer, and that’s why I’m standing to be South Lanarkshire’s first Green councillor.”
- Kirsten worked with the Rural Development Trust, managing a team of people developing and carrying out projects to improve local communities
